


Ad Aeternum

by Felidae5



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Round Robin, Violetshipping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-11-15
Updated: 2006-11-15
Packaged: 2019-10-23 02:16:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17674517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Felidae5/pseuds/Felidae5
Summary: Part of the 'Seven Times Seven' Round Robin from the discontinuedDragon's Lair Archive; this is the only one of my contributions which survived. It was originally betaed by Roselavy*hugs*, whose delectable writings can be found here as well.





	Ad Aeternum

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rroselavy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rroselavy/gifts).



Seven Times Seven: Ad Aeternum

 

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Seto looked around and attempted to determine where, or when, they were now.

Morning was creeping upon them, as they took in their surroundings.  
“Ah crap,” groused Jou, still trying to fight the tingling sensation in his groin,  
”not another jungle! I’m sick of these greens!”  
In the early dawn, they could not make much of the vegetation; still, Seto inspected one of the bushes more closely, even if it was only to get away from Jou and hide both his embarrassment and the bulge in his pants. Nodding, as he found his suspicions confirmed, he declared,  
“If I am not completely mistaken-which I rarely am- we made it to-“  
“The tropics,” hushed Jou.  
Kaiba’s head snapped around.  
“How would you know?”  
The blond shrugged.  
“Shizuka and I went to Okinawa once, when we were kids. Smelled just the same.”  
Kaiba stared at his companion, then snorted at the revelation.  
Jounouchi, upon seeing the brunet’s amusement, gave him a puzzled look.  
“What?”  
The CEO smirked, still chuckling.  
“You just admitted to identifying your vicinity by its scent. I thought the effects of each world vanished by transmission into the next.”  
The look he received was like nothing Seto expected.  
For a split-second, the brunet swore he saw something ... forbidden flash though those hazel orbs he had come to know so well, but the expression was gone before Kaiba could be certain. Pushing the thought aside, Kaiba focused instead on Jounouchi’s set jaw and hard expression. Obviously he had crossed some line that he had not been aware existed and had seriously pissed off the blond.  
Narrowing his eyes, Jou snapped,  
“Very funny, moneybags. And what clued you in to our current position, ya tree-hugger?”  
Kaiba gave a mute sound of surprise at the harsh tone, but explained anyway.  
“For your information, this ‘tree’ as you called it, is a nyctaginaceae, commonly known as bougainvillea, or paper flower, a plant found all over the globe, although it prefers both sub-tropic and tropic areas. Along with the great variety of gesneriaceae -african violets to you- and hibiscus, it is pretty safe to say that yes, we are in the tropics. Particularly, because of this one plant.”  
He pointed to a slender shrub adorned with several mauve-and-white blossoms, their distinct form and colour vaguely familiar to Jou.  
Kaiba waited for a moment to see if the blond recognized them, but when he received no answer, he continued,  
“Passion flowers. They are not found outside the tropics, save for hothouses and botanical gardens.”  
Straightening himself, he stated,  
“The fact that all those plants grow wild here in such vast abundance and in this combination, leads me to the assumption that we are somewhere within the Equatorial belt of the African continent.”  
He waited for Jou’s declaration of awe; instead, the blond merely crossed his arms and cocked a brow, snorting,  
“It was impressive the first couple of times, but it’s beginning to lose its magic. Let’s get going, Minakata Kumagusu.”+  
He turned to leave, but was stopped by Kaiba’s voice.  
“And where, oh pray tell, are you going?”  
Jou shrugged, then walked on. He felt ... strange, as if he was not inhabiting his own body. Maybe Kaiba was right, and there was still some residual cat-creature in him?  
“Dunno. Out of the brushwork, to find a village, or a shelter or-a road?” Jounouchi questioned.  
Immediately Kaiba caught up with him and, staring up and down the thin rail of concrete the blond had stumbled upon that vanished into the thick foliage surrounding them, he mumbled dryly,  
“Sometimes you are of good use, Jounouchi. Although it is a rather rare occurrence.”  
The blond gave him the finger. He was really not in mood for the brunet’s insults.  
“Remind me of that the next time I’m out scaring up some food, Kaiba.”  
The corner of the CEO’s mouth twitched, as he led the way. Trying to alleviate the tension between them, he deadpanned,  
“As I said: occasionally. Now hush, we most likely have a long way to go.”  
Jou merely growled at the barb.  
“Hush yourself! Why I even put up with you, I really ain’t got clue one! Seeing how self-centred, arrogant, high-mainte-ugh!”  
He bumped head-first into Kaiba, who had stopped dead in his tracks. Cursing under his breath, the blond stepped around the brunet to see what had interrupted his swift pace.  
Jou couldn’t help his jaw from falling at the sight he met.  
Set against the rising sun lay a town about twice the size of Domino and apparently crafted entirely out of ice crystals.  
Tall, slender towers reached into a fiery sky, all edges and corners were smoothed and rounded, the rays of sunlight reflecting from the polished surfaces in all directions, blinding the couple on the hill.  
Jou was the first to find his voice again.  
“Uh, Kaib’?”  
“Hn?”  
“You … you sure … this is Africa? Aren’t there supposed to be, like, straw huts and such? Or brick houses, farms, something a little more … rustical? I-I’m just asking, cause I’ve never seen anything like this, not even in movies or books.”  
“Neither have I,” admitted Kaiba, as he resumed his walk towards the city.  
After the almost prehistoric, somewhat primordial setting of the previous world, the prospect of a possibly highly developed civilization made his heart beat faster in anticipation. Increasing his speed, he called back over his shoulder:  
“Hurry up, time waits for nobody!”

 

Getting into town unnoticed proved to be quite a task, since the vegetation thinned out towards the city, giving way to grassland and the farms Jou had been wondering about. Yet, despite the scarce hiding places, no one seemed to take notice of them, and soon they left the suburbs behind and meandered their way downtown.  
Seeing as it was still rather early, there were only few people around, so the couple had no problem sneaking about town undisturbed, although the brunet was too taken aback by the architectural oddities of the constructions surrounding them to give much notice to the inhabitants.  
Jounouchi’s eyes however, were constantly flitting about, taking notice of every single person in their proximity.  
“Say, Kaiba, aren’t Africans supposed to have dark hair and eyes?”  
queried the blond nervously. His companion only gave a short grunt of acknowledgement, his nimble fingers gliding over the glassy structure of the building that currently hid them from view. Rolling his eyes in annoyance, Jou mumbled,  
“Care to tell me then how come a lot of these people got blue, grey and green eyes along with blond, brown, and even red hair?”  
“Genetic variations. Fashion trends. I don’t know,”  
rasped the CEO absent-mindedly, mesmerized by the fabric underneath his fingertips. Without warning, he snatched Jou’s arm and, pulling the blond close, whispered in a conspiratorial tone,  
“Observe.”  
Pressing his hand against the glass-like surface before him, he let the limb linger for several moments, before removing it abruptly. Jou’s widened, as he saw the spot Kaiba’s hand had rested upon shimmer in a slightly lighter shade than its setting, revealing a web of circuits and odd-shaped chips, before darkening again. Within a few seconds, the brighter speck had re-accustomed itself to its original shading.  
“Amazing,” hushed Jou, as he pressed his fingertips against the surface -and yelped, when he felt a strange, yet familiar sensation. Tearing his hand off the building, he jumped back and exclaimed,  
“Shit! It’s moving! The fucking wall moved! Is it reacting to touch or-“  
“Light. This material is a symbiosis between silicon and an extraordinary kind of algae-lichen hybrid.”  
As one, Kaiba and Jou swerved around to find the brunet’s doppelganger standing there, sporting metal-wired glasses and a warm, understanding smile. Standing almost half a head taller than the CEO, his look-alike had the same build, azure eyes, strong chin and straight nose, but that’s where the similarities ended.  
The short-cropped, ginger curls only helped to accent the rich mocha of the elder man’s complexion, the faint lines around his eyes indicating that Kaiba’s counterpart was at least twice their age. A slightly unkempt beard framed the oval face and hid the slight double chin, the lack of a moustache giving the Seto look-alike a somewhat foolhardy appearance.  
Full, sensual lips curled into a slight smirk, as the doppelganger continued,  
“Depending on the amount of sunlight it is exposed to, the algae’s colour intensifies or fades, and the solar cells imbedded within their leaves’ surface store and process all excessive solar power into electricity. Since the algae are fluorescent, we have no problem with illumination, night or day. Plus, the material is quasi-sentient; the building automatically expands its size according to the number of inhabitants, adjusting for the gender and age of each newcomer. Does this information suffice to still your curiosity?”  
The teens just gaped, unsure of how to react.  
Kaiba was first to reclaim his composure. Dropping into a fighting stance, which was then immediately mimicked by Jou, he narrowed his eyes and snapped,  
“Who are you, and what do you want?”  
His new-world counterpart shrugged, seemingly unimpressed.  
“Our perimeter scans picked up your bio-signatures, and since I couldn’t find your DNA profiles in any databanks, I decided it was best if I came to pick you up personally. But pardon my boorish manners-” bowing slightly, the man introduced himself,  
“Sefu Kathinga, chairman of the city council, at your service. Welcome to Gashoki, capitol of the Central and East African Community.”  
Readjusting his glasses, he leaned in closer to Seto, musing,  
“Hmm, you seem strangely familiar. Where have I seen your face before?”  
”Your mirror?” blurted Jou out, but Sefu merely shook his head.  
“No, no, I thought it was … never mind. Let’s get you something to eat and a change of clothes. How does that sound?”  
Jou and Kaiba exchanged a look, and then the brunet gave the blond an imperceptible nod. Never breaking eye contact with his travel mate, the CEO agreed.  
“Fine. But if you should try anything-“  
“Don’t worry. The authorities have been informed, and my best friend is more than eager to meet you. He would most likely kill me, should anything happen to you.”  
Not really consoled by this, but having nothing to lose, the teens decided to follow their new acquaintance anyway.

 

~~~~~~~~~ 

Big, hazel eyes stared at them uncomprehendingly, the orbs almost entirely obscured by what appeared to be binoculars.  
Then the man blinked, pushed the offending item on his forehead and, rubbing his eyes, muttered,  
“I should have remembered to remove the electron microscope before leaving the facility, but when you called me, I came as fast as I could.”  
Squinting his eyes, he looked from Jou to Kaiba and back again, then turned to his friend, mumbling,  
“Amazing. I never thought it possible … are you sure there were no readings on the superstring counter?”  
“No, but considering the large amount of sun winds we’ve had these past few months, I would not be astonished if a minimal vortex had been created, after all, the flux of the WIMPS has been quite stable.”  
“Yes, but still, even if that is taken into consideration, the residual fallout of-“  
“Pardon me for interrupting your scientific chit-chat, but if you would be kind enough to explain what we are doing here … ?”  
For someone sitting strapped to what seemed to be a dentist chair, Kaiba sounded rather intimidating. Jounouchi however, who was in exactly the same position, couldn’t tear his eyes from the doctor/biotech engineer who had heeded Sefu’s call on such short notice, and just happened to be an older version of himself.  
About his height, Kathiru Muruthi was all science, business and attitude.  
And muscles.  
Jou gulped; the last time he had seen such large bicepses they were on Hirutani. The fact that his alter ego had tied his gold-and-brown dreadlocks back in a ponytail, and was in serious need of a good shave, didn’t help Jou in taking a liking to him. The feeling was obviously mutual, since the elder blond gazed at his shorter self very much as if he were a recently discovered, uncategorized relic waiting for identification. Jou shivered under the dissecting look, when he felt … something stirring in the deeper recesses of his mind.  
Giving an apologetic smile, Sefu tapped the watch on his wrist twice, and immediately the two boys were released.  
“We are terribly sorry about that, but we needed to be absolutely certain.”  
Kathiru started, then mumbled, “  
You mean, they are-?”  
His friend smiled brightly, nodding as he made his way towards Seto. He placed his hands on Kaiba’s shoulders and, ignoring the brunet’s tensing, as well as the death look coming from Jounouchi, cheered,  
“For centuries scientists all over the world have wondered, whatever might have happened to Kaiba Seto and Jounouchi Katsuya. Who would have thought that they would travel into our time?”  
Kaiba who had just thought of the best way to detach Sefu’s hands from his body, paled.  
“What do you mean ‘might have happened’? Are you trying to tell me, we didn’t make it back?”  
The scientist inhaled sharply at his mistake. A quick glance at Kathiru’s face, a mute agreement, and the elder man sighed.  
“We cannot give you that particular information.”  
Jou, who felt a slight strain in the back of his head, hissed,  
“You can’t, or you don’t want to?”  
“Either. Both. Never mind how you turn it, we are not able to tell you whether you returned to your time or not. That might be your future, but it’s our past, and we cannot risk you doing something that might alter our present. The possibility of our reality fluctuating or simply blinking out of existence is far too great.”

Jou wanted to argue, but Kaiba halted his protest and nodded in understanding.  
“Fine. I can see that our individual … fates,” he grimaced at the word,  
“have to remain a secret to us. How about telling us instead what happened to the world in general?”  
“That should not prove too great of a problem,” declared Kathiru in Sefu’s place,  
“since the more-drastic changes would be far beyond your or anybody else’s control. Of course, we expect a little token for our generosity.”  
Azure eyes flashed in suspicion, and Kaiba instinctively moved closer to Jou, positioning himself between the scientists and the blond.  
“And just what kind of token could that be?”  
The grin Kathiru flashed him would have given a shark an identity crisis.  
“Quid pro quo, our past in exchange for yours. Tell us all about how you landed here.”

 

~~~~~~~~~ 

“~playing and fooling around in the woods, when all of a sudden there was a flash of light and we were back in our clothes. And bodies. I’m still happy I quit coughing up hairballs.”  
It was a lame joke, but Jou needed something to divert his audience’s attention from his reddening cheeks, when he remembered exactly what this ‘fooling around’ had consisted of.

They had come to the chairman’s private office and had told their counterparts their tale of woe, excluding their more romantic encounters. Sefu, who sensed the blond’s uneasiness, decided to change the subject and, stretching languidly, sighed,  
“An ancient curse, my goodness! And here we thought that we would be able to prove the wormhole time-leap theory. Oh well, maybe on the next try.”  
Kathiru, who looked both disappointed and intrigued, scratched his head when he noticed Kaiba’s stern gaze.  
“Yes?”  
The young CEO’s voice was just a tick warmer than an iceberg.  
“We had an agreement, remember? Our past for yours.”  
Kathiru blinked, then smiled and, waving an inviting hand at his friend, purred,  
“Your turn, stargazer.”  
Sefu merely huffed, then cleared his throat and inserted a short combination of digits into his watch. Immediately, the room darkened, and a 3D-hologram of the earth appeared. As Sefu began to talk, Jou and Seto watched in amazement how the map changed and morphed according to the content of the speech, serving as visual aid.  
“In 2015, scientists discovered that our planet did not only have a north-and-south pole, but also an east-and-west pole. The east pole is located within the Dragon Sea south of Japan, and the west pole is the infamous Bermuda triangle. Those poles are not magnetic, but actually massive clusters of antimatter, thus serving as natural attractors for wormholes.”  
Jou frowned.  
“Wormholes? Aren’t those these … time-warp-thingies?”  
Both Kathiru and Sefu smiled, and Seto shook his head, smirking.  
“Among other things, yes. A wormhole has -despite its, in cosmic proportions, tiny size- a great amount of energy stored within. Obviously, every time a wormhole would near those antimatter clusters, it would not only suck in whatever object happened to be unlucky enough to cross its path, but also would radiate an immense amount of energy, which could then be picked up by the jet stream and spread across the entire planet.  
Naturally, both ecologists and economists around the world perked up at the new discovery— an infinite source of clean, pure energy, enough to last another two to three hundred millennia, at the very least. As you can imagine, the oil-producing nations objected, and OPEC even went so far as to threaten the scientists working on ways to create a wormhole ‘power plant,’ but they were soon overruled.  
Humanity was sick and tired of wars waged in the name of natural resource control and nations collectively began to turn to alternative energies, to display their support of the scientists’ work. When project ‘Stardust’ was finally released in 2087, the entire oil industry collapsed. Not that it really bothered anyone except for those directly concerned. Everything was looking up; with the CO2 emissions dropping to an almost non-existent level, the hole in the ozone layer began to gradually slow down its expansion rate, and thus the earth’s climate grew slightly cooler. That in turn stopped the melting of the polar caps and the flooding of most endangered coastal areas. Air pollution became a diminishing problem, since transportation means all ran on star power-“  
“Wait, wait,” interrupted Kaiba incredulous,  
”are you trying to tell me, that somebody invented a device capable of -conducting a wormhole?!? That’s impossible!”  
Sefu’s eyebrows rose.  
“I received a Nobel prize in quantum mechanics and a doctor’s degree each in astrophysics, astronomy and experimental quark technology, and you’re telling me what’s possible or not?”  
The scientist gave a warm, lenient smile; the same any teacher would give to an uncomprehending student.  
It irked the hell out of Kaiba. Trying to save at least some of his pride, he crossed his arms before his chest and growled,  
“I fail to understand what this has to do with the sudden decrease in population? Or did the wormholes expand and began to draw in everything-“  
“Cassiopeia.” 

The hologram raced across the universe and stopped at an all too familiar star constellation. In disbelief, Seto and Jou watched how the center peak of the ‘W’ exploded in a burst of light and myriad colours, which spread as far as the projection reached. All mirth had dropped from Sefu’s face, as he continued,  
“In 2138, the central system of the star constellation known as Cassiopeia fell victim to a supernova at its very core. Normally, the results of such a happening would not have reached the earth until three hundred or more years later. However, with the wormholes constantly open, the fallout was directed towards our planet in an extremely accelerated timeframe.”  
Jou and Kaiba both paled at those words. Swallowing hard, the blond hushed:  
“Ja, what happened? Did a rock the size of Hokkaido drop into the ocean, or something?”  
Kaiba snorted.  
“Then we wouldn’t be standing here talking, since such a meteor would have most likely destroyed the entire planet. I assume, there was an electromagnetic impulse of sorts, which-“  
Kathinga shook his head.  
“Actually, the brunt of the explosion was filtered by the star system itself, although Jupiter and Uranus took a few solid hits. As for the electromagnetic impulse, it did cause some major disturbances, but nothing that would have threatened humanity’s existence. No, it was the dark matter, or rather the neutrinos within, which created the possibility of a catastrophe of incomparable measures.”

He leaned back and hit a random spot within the projection, and the star-speckled image disappeared to show the surface of the earth again.  
“Since neutrinos have a basically non-existent mass, they are able to pass through solid matter without actually affecting it. After the supernova, the wormhole attracted an exorbitant amount of neutrinos. Scientists assumed them to influence the amount of free radicals within living beings. However, no one could have predicted they might alter the entire genetic structure of every single organism on earth.”  
Jounouchi gasped and Kaiba’s jaw fell, even as Sefu nodded to Kathiru. Brushing his sand-coloured dreadlocks back, the doctor continued,  
“The effect was … simply terrifying; everything, from the most simple single-cell organisms to the complex creatures such as mammals and humans-everything was altered. The changes were occasionally negligible, but in some cases they led to terrible malformations, the victims’ cells mutating to the point where their bodies either rejected or absorbed their own organs and tissue. Strangely enough, earth’s flora adapted to the changes rather well. Unlike mankind.”  
Seto frowned.  
“Surely, by 2138, science was far more advanced than at our time, so why not try to use radiation therapy?”  
The doctor gave a wry smirk,  
“That was like pouring oil into the fire. For example, there was a politician who suffered from an ear deformation. Ten minutes into the therapy, he began to grow gills, and then he suffocated and died. Besides, there was something far more lethal to battle against than randomly proliferating body cells. As I said, every living being was affected, including viruses and bacteria. All vaccinations suddenly proved to be useless, since the pathogens had begun to mutate as well, only at an accelerated rate. Take eighteen billion, square it with the amount of every disease known to mankind, and you get a vague idea what the scientists were up against.”  
Kaiba juggled the mass of numbers in his mind to form a sensible whole. Jounouchi didn’t even try, instead he winced and asked,  
“Why eighteen billion?”  
“That was the approximate world population in 2138,” Sefu butted in, and Kathiru nodded.  
“In time, people coughing up blood and pieces of flesh, growing additional limbs and organs, losing their physical structure, or literally dropping dead on the spot lost its impact; the survivors were too busy digging graves to mourn them. By 2145, humanity was down to a mere ten million people, scattered across the entire planet.”  
Silence reigned heavy within the office, then Kaiba opined.  
“Still, I don’t see why they did not simply clone people. Didn’t anyone think of that?”  
“Of course they did,” soothed Kathiru,  
”but it proved to be of little use. As I told you before, neutrinos work on a sub-atomic level. No exceptions made. In order to save humanity from extinction, the few survivors began to travel the planet in packs to find other humans for reproduction. This naturally caused a blending of the various races, but since there were not very many individuals left, the genetic variety is rather limited.”  
For the first time since they had met, a honest smile appeared on Kathiru’s face, as he addressed the teens,  
“But with the both of you here, we will be able to modify and expand our gene pool. Anyone up for donations?”  
Kaiba and Jounouchi gaped at the grinning Kathiru, the smirking Sefu, one another, and then Jou squeaked,  
“That’s a joke, right?”

 

~~~~~~~~~ 

He had never been this embarrassed in his entire life.  
Wordlessly handing the nurse his cup, Jou tried to make himself invisible. He would have sworn everybody in the room was staring at him. The nurse behind the desk gingerly took hold of the small container and -beamed.  
“Oh my, will you look at that! It’s almost full! No wonder it took you so long!”  
exclaimed the worker enthusiastically, and Jou turned another seventeen shades of red.  
Weren’t there paper bags or something he could cover his face with?  
He glanced around to see if anyone present had heard the woman’s comment, and his heart dropped to his knees when he saw Kaiba sitting there, smirking. And when the brunet cocked one brow meaningfully, Jou wished for nothing more than to crawl into a hole and die.  
He had been in and out in less than four minutes, experience letting him take care of business in no time at all.  
Imagining Jounouchi masturbating in the cubicle next to him had been quite helpful for Seto, along with the memories of their few intimate moments.  
His orgasm had been so intense, that he had actually bit the inside of his lip.  
Dropping his can on the desk, Seto had then let his eyes roam the waiting room, relieved that Jounouchi had not been there. He would not have trusted himself within earshot of the blond, what with his hormones still running wild.  
Taking a seat, the brunet had then begun to meditate; easily quenching the last few sparks of lust. Within a few moments, he had been certain that he could face Jounouchi without trying to devour him with his eyes.  
Or so Kaiba had thought.  
But now that the blond had come out of his cabin, sporting a heavy flush and a thin layer of sweat on his forehead, the amber eyes slightly dazed, rosy lips parted in a semi-embarrassed pout …  
“There you are!”

Startled out of his reverie, Kaiba turned his head to the origin of the voice, only to see Sefu and Kathiru walk up to them.  
“All is settled,” smiled the astronomer,  
“we decided it would be best for you to spend the first night at our house, before we switch you to the hostel. My wife is already eager to meet you, and I’m sure you’d like to have dinner in more … homey surroundings.”  
At the mentioning of food, Jou’s smile lit up, his previous embarrassment forgotten.  
Following the two older men through various corridors, into the elevator and then through the main hall, the teens pointedly refused to meet each other’s eyes, Jou because he was too ashamed, and Seto because he didn’t wanted the obviously perturbed blond to see the longing that was running through his veins and that surely showed in his blue orbs.  
“Baba, baba! Ove’ here!”  
A boy of maybe eight years and looking eerily familiar, came running towards the group of men and threw himself at Sefu, who caught him mid-air and whirled him around. The boy squealed in glee, but immediately his attention was drawn to the two strangers. His brown eyes locked with Jou’s, and the blond stopped dead in his tracks, even as Kaiba scowled.  
So far, almost every Honda-double they had come across had meant trouble for them, and this kid was Jou’s best friend’s spitting image. Frowning in puzzlement and curiosity, the child asked,  
“You look like unca’ Kathiru. Are you his brother?”  
Before Jou could reply, the boy beamed and chirped,  
“I know, you’re daddy’s new boyfriend, right?”  
Kaiba gaped, Jou face-palmed and their hosts laughed aloud. Finally, Sefu set his son down and, petting the unruly black hair, smiled,  
“Now, now, Hakhima, what have I told you about asking such questions?”  
“And what have I told you about seducing my husband, dear brother?” a feminine voice questioned.  
She was a sight, even Seto had to admit.  
Tall, voluptuous, radiating an air of unambiguous sexuality; the raven-haired woman sauntered up to them, a gentle expression on her mahogany features. Slate-grey eyes sparkled mischievously as she gave Sefu a friendly punch on the arm and, after hugging Hakhima, wrapped her arms around Kathiru’s neck.  
“You know brother, you should consider yourself lucky to have such a forgiving wife,” continued Sefu’s sister,  
“most women I know would take great affront in their husbands sharing their brother-in-law’s bed. Frequently.”  
Kaiba couldn’t tear his eyes from the enchanting woman who looked so much like his little brother. He could accept a kid-Mokuba, a girl-Mokuba, hell, even a grown-up Mokuba, but this-this … wait a moment. Seducing? Brother-in-law? Sister?!?  
Before the brunet had time to adjust to the situation, a voice, sweet as a silver bell, drew his attention.  
Hair, endless, copper-flecked black strands flowed down a slender back and pooled in a curtain around-  
“Yuugi?” hushed Jounouchi incredulous, as he watched the female counterpart of the shorter duelist pick up the protesting Hakhima and give Sefu a long, sensual kiss.

Jou heard a grunt and turned his head just in time to witness Kaiba’s eyes roll back in his head and the unconscious brunet hit the floor with a loud, solid thud.

 

~~~~~~~~~ 

Dinner was like nothing either boy had ever experienced.  
Obviously, the people in this era were very tactile, there was a constant brushing, patting, petting, caressing and what-not-more between the family members, which proved to be quite stressful for Seto, who didn’t like being touched.  
Jounouchi had an entirely different problem; he barely understood a word that was being spoken.  
To his ears it sounded as if he stood at Tokyo Narita in the midst of a flock of tourists originating from at least thirteen different countries, all talking at the same time. For Seto, with his vast knowledge of languages, this proved to be a minor task.  
Currently, the brunet was idly chatting with his counterpart, when Yakini, Sefu’s wife, sauntered up to them and offered them a plate of something that looked and smelled like chicken wings.  
“Have some lipilis, dear, I picked them fresh from the garden this morning.”  
Seto gave the delicacies a suspicious look and politely declined, which caused the woman to give a slight pout and inch closer to her guest.  
“I know they seem strange to you, but I assure you, you will like them. Besides, you look like you could use the extra calories”, Yakini smiled and patted Seto’s cheek; Jou felt a wave of undefined, raw jealousy wash over him. Who did this harlot think she was?  
Touching his Seto without permission?  
He didn’t care if monogamy was unknown in this era, he wouldn’t allow this sleazy Yuugi-copycat make any moves on his posse-  
“Wanna play?”  
It took a moment for Jou to realize, that the question was directed at him, and even longer to get his anger back under control. Nodding, he took the offered object from Hakhima and inspected it closer, still wondering about the sudden burst of rage that he’d just experienced.  
The game had about the measurements of a CD cask, but instead of buttons, there were only a few iridescent specks.  
‘Komet Race’ stood in bold letters on the top, but nothing else.  
Jou gave the Honda-duplicate a confused look, and was rewarded with yet another hologram, as the child placed his thumbs on the silver spots and closed his eyes.  
“Imagine it, picture it in your head. The transmitters will do the rest,” hushed a hoarse voice into his ear.  
Jou shivered and, turning his head, came eye-to-eye with Kathiru. Although his expression was as calculating and observant as before, there was an unmistakable warmth in the doctor’s amber orbs. Still, Jou didn’t like the doctor sitting next to him, so he turned his attention back on the game instead.

A least Hakhima seemed to like him.

 

He couldn’t sleep. Never mind how comfortable the bed he lay in felt and that the presence of the family sheltering them filled him with a sense of security, Jou couldn’t fall asleep. Beside him, Seto was nestled deep within his own cushions, dozing peacefully. Letting his gaze travel across the brunet’s features, Jounouchi wondered for the nth time since their odyssey had begun, how something this marvellous and perfect had come to be. To him, Kaiba Seto simply defied reality; yet he was as real as- his azure eyes, watching him curiously.  
“Yes?”  
It was a single, innocent word, but it caused goose bumps to erupt all over Jou’s arms. For a second, he wondered what it would be like to walk over and slip into Seto’s bed, let his fingers explore the well-chiselled pecs and have his lips taste-  
Underneath his blankets, the blond dug his nails into his thigh, the pain helping him to will away the longing. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, he muttered:  
“Nothing, really. It’s just- don’t you think it’s too good to be true?”  
Propping himself up on one elbow, Kaiba asked,  
“Do you suspect a trap or an ambush?”  
The blond shifted uneasily.  
“No, not really. It’s just -it doesn’t feel right, ne?”  
Seto studied him intently, then declared with a smirk,  
“If I didn’t knew better, I would say you’re jealous.”  
The blond’s jaw dropped.  
Trust Kaiba to hit it dead on.  
Failing miserably at hiding his blush, Jou mumbled something unintelligible about conceited CEOs, and then buried himself underneath the covers.  
Giving a smug grin, the brunet resettled in his bed, and not ten minutes later the only sound to be heard in the room were two faint snores.

 

Jounouchi awoke with a pounding headache and in a sour mood. The fact that Kathiru and Sefu had organized an emergency science convention scheduled that same afternoon didn’t help the blond’s miserable condition any, especially because the various doctors and professors insisted on running the time-shifting couple through every single test they could think of.  
Little wonder that by eight in the evening, Jou had thrown one of his infamous temper tantrums -and a chair at Kathiru- and successfully ended the meeting. Seto was still chuckling at the doctor’s shell-shocked expression long after they had moved into their transitory flat.

It was their third day in this new world, and Jounouchi was growing antsier by the minute. Never mind what he did, no matter how much medication Sefu provided him with or sleep he got, his migraine just kept getting stronger by the minute, and the insistent feeling of being in the wrong body was driving him up the wall.  
He almost felt the same as in the previous world they’d just come from; something primal, feral curled inside his head, tried to get out, and rattled at the bars of its cage. Jounouchi moaned as the pain worsened yet again, making him not so much physically but emotionally sick.  
This … desire, this lust, this terrifying hunger was similar to the one he had experienced as the cat-creature, but this was far darker, stronger and strangely … twisted.  
A wave of nausea washed over him, and he longed for nothing else than to reach into his mind and cut out and tear -and rip and crush and devour, savouring the taste of fresh, warm blood and still writhing flesh underneath his claws, digging his fangs into-  
The blond stumbled and almost crushed into the wall as images, sounds, emotions and tastes attacked him without warning, the mental onslaught strong enough to send him to his knees, gagging and heaving. It took him several minutes just to get his breathing back under control, but his heart was still beating dramatically out of rhythm.  
For a while, he sat there, crouched against the wall, and then a pained chuckle bubbled out of his throat.  
The giggling turned into choked sobs, as Jounouchi covered his face with one hand and let the first of many tears roll over his cheek.  
His voice broke, as he let senseless prayers and pleas dribble from his lips.

 

~~~~~~~~~ 

Kaiba was like a child in a candy store.  
For the first time in years, his mind was actually being challenged, but without the pressure of having to be best at anything, without the heaviness of cold, alert eyes constantly watching him. He was free to learn on his own whim, and soak up information like the proverbial sponge. Nothing was safe from him; he fired questions at his alter ego which were answered truthfully, Sefu completely content at having such an enthusiastic and bright student.  
“… so the bougainvillea I saw is actually a hyacinth-blackthorn hybrid, and what I took for a passion flower is really eulophia speciosa?”  
Sefu nodded and was about to answer, when Kaiba spotted something a couple of feet ahead and took off at rocket speed. When the scientist finally caught up with him, Seto was staring in amazement at the sidewalk.  
“It-it just devoured a piece of paper! Is this how you get rid of your waste? By _-feeding_ the sidewalks?”  
“And roads and every other open space. What you see here is actually a layer of flesh-eating bacteria crossed with eight different kinds of mildew, then embedded into liquid fluorite crystals. Underneath the … recycling plant is a layer of sensors, that decide whether or not the object on the surface is litter.”  
Seto grunted in understanding, and then frowned.  
“How come you so willingly explain all the technological prowess of the past two centuries, but not whether Jounouchi and I are ever returned to our own era?”  
Sefu remained quiet for a moment, and then sighed.  
“Because life has strange ways to teach you some of its most important lessons. And the later you learn that, the more you try to avoid it, the more you suffer.”  
Kaiba glared at his duplicate, then snorted and walked away.  
“Where are you off to?” asked Sefu.  
The brunet barely spared him a glance, as he shot back,  
“To find someone who doesn’t bother me with this esoteric humbug!”  
Sefu watched Seto turn a corner, and then shook his head sadly.  
“I’m afraid, you and your companion will be a long way before you return home, Kaiba Seto.”

 

Everything was dark when he entered, but the building’s system automatically created a path of soft lights to guide him through their flat. Coming to stand before the loveseat, he watched the sleeping form of his comrade.  
“Where y’ been?” mumbled Jounouchi drowsily, eyes closed.  
Seto shrugged.  
“Here and there. It’s rather fascinating, I must admit, and they even have an Adventure Theme Park. We can visit it tomorrow, if you like.”  
“Hmmrr.” Jou took another deep breath, then confessed,  
“I-I don’t feel so good.”  
The brunet scowled.  
“You look horrible too. Would you like me to call Kathiru-“  
“No! No, I-I-I’m gonna be ok, I’ll be fine. Just -no more doctors, ok?”  
Seto blinked at Jou’s sudden outburst, then smiled.  
“Fine. How about dinner then?”  
The blond gave him a tired, apologetic grin.  
“Sorry, but I raided the fridge while you were gone. If you wanna eat, you gotta call in.”  
Seto rolled his eyes as he made his way to where the phone was molded into the wall of the structure.  
“You’re lucky that money no longer exists in this world, otherwise we would be having a serious problem.”

 

“You are going to have a serious problem if you don’t do something asap!” exclaimed Makhena.  
Kathiru flinched; he hated it when his wife used that tone. Especially when she was right. Sighing defeatedly, he muttered,  
”That is easier said than done. It’s been nothing but a suspicion until now, and the possibilities-“  
“-have to be weighed out carefully.”  
“I understand that. What I don’t understand is why you’re sitting there doing nothing about it!”  
Amber eyes narrowed. “For your information, I am thinking of the least hazardous way to approach-“  
“Coward.”  
Makhena flipped her long curls back and declared cooly:  
”Once you have decided to act upon your Hippocratic oath, Kathiru Muruthi, you are welcome back to our bed. Until then…well, you know where to find me.”  
That said, she made her way to her brother’s part of the house. Kathiru sighed dejectedly. There were certain disadvantages to having a bombshell for a wife.

 

~~~~~~~~~ 

Kaiba was worried, to say the very least.  
All night long he had been repeatedly awakened by Jounouchi’s frequent moans and cries and had listened to the blond writhing and panting as he threw himself from one side to the other, each pained whimper and sob cutting into the brunet’s heart like a sword.  
Now, as the early morning approached, Jou had grown quieter and quieter, finally slipping into a restless sleep. The CEO gave a bitter smile as he thought about the very irony of their situation.  
After all the worlds in which they had travelled, they had finally landed in one that open-heartedly welcomed them without any objections, one where they were not shunned for being different, a world not unlike the kind Seto had often dreamt of.  
And at what price?  
Jounouchi was suffering from some strange disease, or- sapphire eyes darkened in suspicion.  
Could it be? Placing his hand on the blond’s sweaty forehead, Seto checked the other teen’s temperature.  
Good. At least Jou had no fever. Now he needed to find Kathinga and see if he was right.

 

Jou awoke with a strange, hollow feeling inside his head, and for a second he was confused as to what was missing. Then it occurred to him, that his headache was gone.  
As well as Seto. Grumbling, the blond kicked his blankets off, rose from his bed and groggily stumbled into the kitchen.  
On the table sat a tray with food and a short note:  
‘Needed to investigate about your condition. Back for dinner. ~K’  
He snorted and was just about to sit down, when he felt a presence behind him. Glancing over his shoulder, he froze when he recongnized Kathiru. Just as he was about to sigh in relief, something odd occurred to him.  
“How did you get in here?”  
The doctor shrugged.  
“Through the door.”  
Jou hmped and growled:  
“Gotta remember to it lock next time.”  
Kathiru blinked in confusion; obviously he had no idea what his younger self was talking about. Giving a mute sigh, Jou explained,  
”A lock? You know, those little steel devices people put on doors so other people can’t get in?”  
The other male’s face lit up.  
”I remember those from my history books- very common in former eras, although I find the concept of hindering someone to get to information or goods to be rather silly. Besides, if you wouldn’t have wanted me to come in, I could not have entered.”  
It was Jou’s turn to scowl in puzzlement. Kathiru waved his hand, including the entire flat.  
“These buldings are quasi-empathic; if the occupant does not want a person to enter, the door will not open.”  
He paused and smirked.  
”The fact that I’m standing here explaining this to you means that you do want me here, even if it might only be on an subconcious level. And, I don’t think Seto would like his babysitter to simply leave his ward unattended.”  
His voice grew serious all of a sudden.  
”Besides, I really needed to talk to you. About your … condition.”  
Jou gave a rude snort.  
“As if you even knew what’s wrong with me!”  
There was a short pause, then Kathiru stated,  
“You’re afraid you might be losing your mind.”  
Jounouchi whirled around.  
“Wha-How would you know?” he spat.  
Kathiru sighed again as he sat down and motioned for Jou to do the same.  
The blond merely crossed his arms before his chest and glared accusingly. His alter ego linked his fingers and rested his chin upon them, mumbling,  
”I’m a doctor, in case you might have forgotten. But even so, I doubt I would have noticed anything peculiar if I had not been wandering about with my microscope on. The moment I turned it on you, it picked up an - anomality within your brain, in your hypothalamus, to be more precise. It shows heightened activity, along with significant growth.  
I hesitated to inform you because at your age your body is still undergoing vast changes, and I didn’t want you worried for no reason. However, after what Seto told me about your behaviour, I did some research and came up with two possible causes.”

Jounouchi felt as if someone had pulled the very ground from beneath his feet. Everything clicked into place, and at the same time nothing made sense.  
No wonder he was feeling as if his mind was being split into two halves.  
Jounouchi was so lost in his thoughts, that he almost missed the question,  
“Does your head still hurt?”  
He answered, muttering,  
”No, I awoke this morning and the pain was just gone.”  
He groaned and plopped down on a chair, asking,  
“So, what are my options? Surgery? Medical therapy?”  
Kathiru shook his head and produced a tiny box out of his pocket filled with what looked like-  
“Condoms?” croaked Jou incredulous.  
His counterpart smiled as he picked up one of the tiny objects and removed the seal.  
“No, test pads. I need a second blood sample to see what we are dealing with and how far it may have progressed.”  
The blond doubtfully eyed the small chip Kathiru balanced on one finger, before offering his left arm. The doctor applied the chip to the limb and Jou was surprised at the gentle, almost sensual touch of the test pad. It felt as if someone was trying to give him a hickey, and for a second Jounouchi dared to imagine it was Seto’s lips pressed against his flesh. Then Kathiru removed the pad and Jou was left with a strange, gnawing sensation in the pit of his stomach.  
Suppressing a shudder, he asked,  
“So, how long until you know what’s wrong with me?”  
Kathiru grimaced, as he placed the pad back into the box.  
“Normally we would have the results with the hour. However, since your genetic make-up varies distinctly from ours, we have to make cross-references to all available DNA archives, which might take a while.”  
Rising, he looked Jou in the eye.  
“I want you to stay within your living quarters until you hear from me. Try not to upset yourself too much, it will only serve to worsen your condition. I’ll call in some favours so we can get to the root of the problem within the next couple of hours.”  
Jou escorted him to the door, and just as Kathiru reached out to shake the teen’s hand, the blond asked,  
“Where’s Seto?”  
Frowning at the detached tone, the doctor answered,  
“With Sefu. Your friend hypothesized that whatever is affecting you was caused by neutrinos, so he joined forces with Kathinga. He’s still at the institute.”  
Jounouchi gave a quiet smile.  
“I see.”

 

~~~~~~~~~ 

Seto was, well, intrigued.  
He had come home to find Jounouchi sitting in the loveseat, sipping liquor and looking like a king trying to decide his enemy’s fate -calm, poised and extremely dangerous. Moving closer to the table, Seto placed the lid back on the opened bottle and said,  
“You shouldn’t be drinking in your condition. Kathiru told me-“  
“Humour me, Kaiba,” mused Jounouchi aloud, admiring the way the golden liquid sloshed around in his glass,  
”how come in every other time or world the two of us are lovers, friends or at least aquaintances of sorts, but in our reality you treat me like shit? Care to explain why you wanna lay me and drag me through the dirt at the same time? Or do you get off on making me feel low?”  
Seto swallowed a harsh reply and instead reasoned,  
”You know that that is not true, Jounouchi. I have a very high opinion of you, and you have not only my trust, but my respect as well-“  
“Shut up!”  
The glass went flying past the CEO’s ear and bounced harmlessly off the wall, the liquor was immediately soaked up by the construction.  
Rising from his seat, Jounouchi stalked towards Seto, a dark, dangerous gleam in his eyes.  
“Stop lying to me! If you hold me so dear, then how come you spend every waking moment with Sefu? I’m penned up in here going crazy and you’re traipsing about all over town with your-oh-so-precious twin! Have you ever thought how it might be for me, all alone in this fucking sterile box while my brain is sprouting thorns?  
What the hell is it with you and this-this world that you find so fascinating, you can’t spare a single moment with me? Or is it Sefu you find so attractive?”

The brunet paled at the accusation. Trying to maintain his cool, he answered truthfully,  
”It’s the technological advances I find so intriguing, if you must know. Jounouchi, I don’t know how to explain this to you, but with what I have learned here, all the information that I’ve gathered in this era, I can stay ahead of my competitors not only one or two years, but an entire century! I might be able to set the course of the coming decades of software engineering and-“  
“And you’d be just like Da Vinci, having invented the tank and helicopter and never seeing his ideas become real because it would take Lénoir another four-hundred years to invent the first functioning gasoline engine! Get real Kaiba,”  
Jou pushed the stunned brunet towards the bedroom,  
“the only reason you’re avoiding me is because you’re not man enough for me.”

Kaiba would have almost burst out laughing, if not for the hungry look in Jou’s eyes and the alien, numbing feeling making his body both hot and heavy as lead. Trying to step away from the obviously insane blond, he rasped,  
“Don’t do this, Jounouchi. You don’t want it. It’s just the disease talking.”  
The next thing Seto was aware of was that he was lying on the floor holding his groin where Jou’s knee had hit him unexpectedly. The blond towered over him, a smug grin on his face.  
“You’re losing your touch, Kaiba. Normally you’d have seen that one coming from a distance.”  
Crouching down next to him, Jou tenderly caressed Seto’s face before placing a chaste kiss on the brunet’s temple. More and more followed, and suddenly Kaiba found his tongue entwined with Jounouchi’s, who was obviously trying to suck the very life out of him. Something was very wrong here, and it was not only Jounouchi’s strange behaviour but also the fact that he was reacting so passively, almost as if he had been drugged.  
Struggling to regain some control, Seto broke the kiss and tried to escape the blond, but Jou would have none of it. Easily wrestling the stronger brunet to the floor, Jou began to pull and tear at Seto’s clothing, growling because he couldn’t get the buttons and zippers working fast enough to his liking.  
Seto lay there, trying to convince his disobedient body to throw off the horny blond. Jou’s hand slipped into his boxers and suddenly Seto was back in control, reacting on pure instinct. The blow he hit the blond with was hard enough to draw blood, but not enough to knock Jounouchi unconscious.  
The blond wiped the crimson liquid from his lip, turned to face the brunet- and Seto froze in terror when their eyes met.  
Jounouchi was in no way insane, but fully aware of what he was doing. Hard, calculating and terrifyingly demanding, the normally golden orbs had taken on an almost black hue-and then Jou twisted and broke Seto’s little finger. The CEO yelped in pain and surprise and Jou calmly declared,  
“Do something like that again, and I’ll break both of your legs.”  
Seto had never taken kindly to being threatened, and this time was no exception. With a snarl, he rolled away from Jou and staggered to his feet, only to have a swift kick delivered to his chest, snapping a rib. Before he could catch his breath, Jou was behind him and then a rod of white-hot pain shot through his shoulder.  
The last thing he saw was the main door flying open and a couple of familiar faces staring in shock.

 

~~~~~~~~~ 

He was … amazing.  
It was barely twenty-four hours since they had arrested Jounouchi and brought him- Kaiba- to the hospital. Due to the fact that crime in this society was basically non-existent, their case had been brought to court in record time, a common happening, Sefu had explained to him as the CEO had waited for the healing accelerator to fix his broken ribs and finger. And now Seto watched Jounouchi, who stood in the witness box, and was being interrogated by the prosecutor.

“If I understand you correctly, you attempted to force yourself on Seto Kaiba because you knew that your … attraction to him was reciprocated. Is that correct?”  
“Yes.”  
The prosecutor cocked a brow.  
“You attacked your friend even though he did not want to become intimate with you at that time, since he was concerned about your mental condition. Am I right so far?”  
Jounouchi nodded.  
“Absolutely. When Kaiba … denied me, I got angry and I broke his finger to make him willing. When that didn’t work, I knocked him down, breaking a couple of his ribs, and after he fell, I dislocated his shoulder. If Mister Muruthi, Mister Kathinga and the paramedics had not entered at precisely that moment, I would have taken him.”  
There was a short, stunned silence, and Seto groaned inwardly.  
Why was Jounouchi was being so cooperative? Why hadn’t he even tried to blame it on the disease he’d been infected with? Wasn’t he aware of the consequences should he be found guilty?  
The brunet turned his eyes back on his companion’s face. Jounouchi had returned to his seat and was smiling enigmatically, completely ignoring his defender. A chill crept up Seto’s back, and he had to fight the urge to run up to Jou and pull him into a comforting embrace. If only-

“Has the jury reached a decision?”  
“Yes, your honour, we have. We find the defendant, Katsuya Jounouchi, guilty on all charges.”  
Seto clenched his uninjured fist tightly until his knuckles turned as white as his face. The judge frowned, then looked at Jounouchi.  
“Please rise for the sentencing. Katsuya Jounouchi, for the attempted rape of and willful injuring of a fellow human being, I hereby sentence you to death according to international law. You have the chance to-“  
The blond shook his head.  
“No. I accept the verdict. It’s time I took responsibility for my actions.”  
Everyone was shocked into immobility. Then suddenly Kaiba shot up from his seat, and ignoring the judge’s reproach, he shouted,  
“I object! I object! Katsuya Jounouchi was clearly not in his right mind when he attacked me! Ask Mister Muruthi if you don’t believe me! I demand an adjournment!”  
Whirling around, he faced Sefu and Kathiru who sat behind him, and roared,  
”Do something! I thought you had proof of his illness, and now you just allow them to sacrifice him to your system? What kind of-  
“Seto.”  
The aforementioned felt his heart skip a beat at Jounouchi’s voice uttering his first name. Swallowing the bile rising in his throat, Seto forced himself to lock eyes with the blond. Calloused fingertips pressed against the brunet’s lips and Jounouchi whispered,  
”It’s ok, everything’s going to be alright now. Don’t worry,” for a split-second, tears danced in the golden orbs, only to be blinked away,  
“I’ll be seeing you in the next world, Seto.”

 

It had happened too early.  
Sitting on a stool, Kaiba wondered what might have gone wrong. He knew that they should have shifted already, so how come he was still here in the morgue, keeping vigil over Jounouchi’s dead body?  
He let his eyes roam tiredly over the blond’s features, wondering about his serene expression. Even in death Jounouchi was still breathtaking. Shaking his head, Seto mumbled bitterly,  
“Stupid. Of all the crimes you could commit you had to pick the one with the death sentence? And why you didn’t even try to defend yourself is beyond me. After all, your condition-“  
“Would have had no influence on the verdict.”  
Seto looked up at the hooded figure who had entered, and argued,  
“But I thought the disease…”  
Nimble hands flipped the hood back to reveal Sefu’s face. Shaking his head, the astronomer stepped closer and declared,  
”Affects the hormone balance and causes an overproduction of adrenaline, LH, FSH, testosterone, just to mention a few. His cognitive abilities were not being impaired. Another side effect was that his body had begun to create and exude sedative pheromones that would keep his victim from fighting back. That’s why he managed to overpower you, despite your strength and skills. And he wouldn’t have been able to stop there.”  
Azure met azure, and Seto knew his doppelganger had spoken the truth.  
Turning his back on the older man, he asked,  
“Did he suffer?”  
He could hear Sefu fight for the right words.  
“No. The electrical impulse causes an immediate failure of all neurons. The victim dies before he even realizes it.”  
Seto grit his teeth.  
“Where’s Kathiru?”  
“Home. He might appear to be as cool as a cucumber, but seeing that happen to his other self … it was the first time I ever saw him cry in public.”  
Both men smiled, but Seto just had to know.  
“Of all the people, why you?”  
Sefu sighed.  
“It comes with the position of being the council’s chairman. To be honest, it was-had-I’ve never had to do that before. I hope I never have to again.”  
A single ray of sunlight danced across the hall, casting a warm glow on everything it hit. Seto took place on the stool and brushed Jounouchi’s golden bangs from his forehead, absent-mindedly noticing that the body was still warm.  
“I still fail to understand. Why would he do something like this for me?”  
Sefu came closer and laid a hand on the brunet’s shoulder.  
“Why do you think he did it?”  
Kaiba, not daring to even think the answer, lowered his head and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, Sefu was no longer there.  
Sighing in resignation as he looked around, Kaiba knew that they had once again shifted, and that they weren't yet home.

 

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

I apologize to all scientists; despite the truckload of research I did on the whole wormhole matter, I let the plot twist the facts. If you’re an astronomer, please try not to take offense...  
Also, I would like to use this opportunity to call-out all the gifted authors out there who made this caleidoscope of realities an amazing whole, as well as give a heart-felt thank you to REM, who gave us Jou/Kaiba lovers a place to dwell, to indulge in and share our fantasies and hone our skills as writers.

You have my utmost gratitude

Felidae

 

+Minakata Kumagusu(1867-1941): famed genius and researcher; his studies included biology, anthropology, microbiology and botanics, amonst others

Here’s the meaning of the names, they’re either Kikuyu (#) or Swahili(*):

Sefu: sword *  
Kathiru: (the) black one) #  
Kathinga: common surname #  
Muruthi: lion #  
Makhena: (the) happy one #  
Yakini: truth *  
Hakhima: sensible *  
Gashoki: one who returns #


End file.
